4th Week of Ordinary Time 2023 - Monday - Catholic Schools Week - Faith, Excellence, Service

Today in the diocese of Cleveland is the first weekday of Catholic Schools Week. Whether your child attends a Catholic School or is homeschooled, Catholic Schools Week is a good opportunity to reflect on the importance of Catholic Education. And the theme this year for Catholic Schools Week is a pretty good one: “Faith, Excellence, Service”.

Catholic Education, again whether in a formal school or in the home, takes place in an atmosphere of faith—faith which helps young souls stay awake to welcome the bridegroom, to know him, love him and serve Him in this life, so to be happy with Him in the next; faith, which is founded on the pillars of Catholicism, right doctrine, participation in the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church, moral formation grounded in the Lord’s teachings, and a vibrant life of personal prayer.

Catholic education, whether in a formal school or in the home, also strives for excellence; excellence of course not merely academically, but to become excellent in all aspects of life—intellectually, morally, spiritually, emotionally, physically. Excellence does not just happen, it requires effort. And Catholic Education is an effort of the Church of Jesus Christ to transform mediocrity, selfishness, laziness, rudeness, and immaturity into excellence, selflessness, virtue, industriousness, resourcefulness, and kindness. 

And that leads to the third part of our theme for Catholic Schools Week: service. Catholic Education helps us to become people of Christian service. Serving others is profoundly more excellent than being self-centered, selfish, or greedy. Catholic Education—in the truest sense of the word education—which from the latin means—to lead us out of something. Catholic Education leads us out of the darkness of selfishness to become people of the light, who strive to serve God—to love God with our whole heart, mind, souls and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves, which is the greatest commandment of Christ.

For in the end, Catholic Education ultimately revolves around Christ—Catholic Schools are aimed at forming genuine disciples of Education — well-educated people who know him, love him and serve him.

So, please pray this week, for all those involved in Catholic Education, at this parish and throughout the diocese. Through the intercession of St. Martina whose feast is today, and all the saints, we pray for all parents, first teachers of their children; we pray for all students, that they may be granted wisdom, knowledge, and diligence in their studies, for all teachers, that they may help impart faith with patience and competency, and for the Church as a whole, that through education we may grow in virtue, and excellence, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.